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Sissel -- a State of Mindby Jostein PedersenSissel Kyrkjebø is more than an artist. More than a singer, musician or interpreter. More than a personality, a Norwegian advertising poster or an idol. Sissel Kyrkjebø is a state of mind.In a fairy tale this might have been the story of the girl whose voice was so pure and so beautiful that people believed she was blessed with a gift from the gods. The girl herself was a gift, endowed by a large, generous hand which, with no thought for earthly geography, placed this girl in tiny, rugged Norway. Like an angel, she progressed through the land, and when she sang the mountains trembled and the clear streams chuckled. Sissel Kyrkjebø is not an angel, but she sings like one. Sissel Kyrkjebø is not royalty, but she's as close as an ordinary citizen can get. Norway's most talked-about, most fêted artist is now to be launched all over the world. As an artist, a Norwegian advertising poster -- or an angel?Sissel Kyrkjebø (25) has made her living from singing since, at the age of 16, dressed in folk costume, she sang Norwegian songs for half a billion people during the interval of the Eurovision Song Contest. Since her first record, Sissel (1986), she has sold approximately 1.3 million discs -- to a population of 4.4 million people. She has beaten all the music industry's sales records and become national property to an almost frightening extent. In autumn 1988 she played Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music: "Sissel is an artist blessed by the gods," wrote the critics. In spring 1993, she celebrated Edvard Grieg's 150th anniversary in their common home town, Bergen, singing Solveig in Ibsen's Peer Gynt. You can't get more Norwegian than that. The five occasions on which she has released a new album have been national events. A state of emergency prevails twice a year when she changes her hairstyle. When she married Danish entertainer Eddie Skoller (50), our two countries were closer to union than they have ever been. We call her Sissel because we own her. The PolyGram record company wants to turn her into an international superstar, but doesn't quite seem to know how. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the nation's commercial interests use her to sell Norway, because "she is Norway." At embassies and trade fairs, surrounded by smoked salmon, aquavit and cured meats, her voice rings out -- "authentic," "exotic," "interesting" or "oh my God she's gorgeous!" Government and industry go hand in hand to sell their diverse wares through the medium of Sissel's voice, which might be regarded as a Norwegian filter. Can they both win? Can all three win? The third is Sissel, a female artist with a voice and an artistic sensitivity without equal. Hurricane conditions. Hurricanes have female names: Sissel. As usual there is calm at the eye of the storm. For PolyGram, who manage this gifted phenomenon, it is now a matter of choosing a repertoire, an image and a strategy for the world. In other words, how can they combine this artist's unique ability with market demand and the recording industry's profit requirements? This problem is typical and recurrent for everyone who sells and presents artistry. In most cases it is an internal matter -- the general public only judges the results, i e. the finished product. This is not true in Sissel's case. The whole nation is concerned about what "their Sissel" is, will be and should be. This is only natural -- an adoring audience always behaves this way. Sissel's closest contacts are her musical advisers -- who are in doubt. This type of public insult is unheard of. The doubt concerns whether Sissel is to sing adult contemporary music in English, or stick to her new Nordic image. The prestigious magazine Billboard's Editor in Chief, Timothy White, was the one who stirred up the storm. In an editorial, he reviewed Sissel's latest album, Innerst i sjelen (Deep Inside the Soul) and was, to put it mildly, panegyric. This happens now and then. The fact that so much attention was paid to a foreign language artist and a record that wasn't even available is historic. He even prophesied that she would have a future as a star in the USA -- in Norwegian! Innerst i sjelen consists mainly of Nordic folk songs and hymns in the original languages. The arrangements are basically acoustic, but often result in a timeless, floating sound on the borderline between folk music, New Age and jazz. Traditional folk instruments combine with the instrumentation and technology of rock and jazz, while Sissel's captivating interpretations, which really "are" the text, hover above. Thanks to the 1994 Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, she had a hit with the Placido Domingo duet "Fire in Your Heart," the official Olympic song, including in Germany, where they sold over 100,000 records. Her cooperation with Domingo has born fruit. This year Sissel is to be guest artist at his Christmas concert from Vienna, with the Vienna Philharmonic. At Christmas '92 his guests were Jose Carreras and Diana Ross; last year Dionne Warwick sang at the concert, which is broadcast direct to TV audiences in ninety countries. As a whole, Innerst I sjelen conjures up associations with the Irish singer, Enya. But where Enya is distant and unapproachable, Sissel is close and present; where Enya is layered voice and synthesizers, Sissel is rich and concise and uses the synthesizer as an instrument rather than instead of instruments. Billboard's Editor in Chief believes this is the real Sissel, the unique Sissel, the special Sissel. But it isn't that simple.
In autumn 1992, Norway held its breath. The reason? Sissel was panned! The record
Gift Of Love was the new, adult Sissel. A solid adult contemporary album in English,
recorded in the USA with Neil Sedaka (!) as guest artist. "It has no character, and Sissel is
in danger of becoming singer no. 318," wrote Norway's biggest newspaper. Gift Of Love is
the reason why Sissel's advisers are in doubt. The record is what it intends to be, neither
more nor less. This appeals to the Americans, who inexorably classify music by genre.
Sissel is adult contemporary in English. She sings about love and hope in a sophisticated
production that tickles the taste buds of the Whitney Houston and Michael Bolton
segment. The alternative is a Nordic Sissel, singing of doubt and faith in a somewhat
rugged, searching musical landscape. Planning an international artistic career is like laying a strategic plan for a multinational company. There are several parallels between Irish Enya and Sissel -- except that Enya's career is where Sissel's wants to be. "People are searching for a spiritual source, rather than the current pop music fashion which is aggressive and noisy. Little English can be heard in Enya's songs, the public enjoy the beauty of the atmosphere although they don't understand what she sings word by word. This applies regardless of continent," says Enya's producer and co-manager Nicky Ryan. So much for the creative aspect. The commercial aspect is also taken care of: "Enya's music has consciously been sold to advertisers in various countries. They wanted our sound image. If we had refused, they would have used a sound-alike. Our music is spread through TV advertising. That is how the use of her in film music and TV serials works too. The public become curious, and most directors have used her music with respect." This is how an artist is marketed who very seldom appears or promotes herself. Her visual image filtered through videos and record covers reinforces her inaccessibility -- she is hardly recognisable. With Innerst i sjelen, Sissel appears -- also visually -- as a mystic, mythical interpreter of songs we do not immediately understand, but where the mood and the atmosphere are all the more suggestive. Sissel cultivates the Nordic, goes "deep into the soul" where the origins are to be found. In the same way, Enya interprets Celtic visions which should, apparently, estrange non-Irish listeners. We have never experienced Enya on St. Patrick's Day in full blooded, nationalistic voice through Irish whisky, Guinness or marketing hype for the Emerald Isle where the Celtic spirit prevails. We have experienced Sissel as a Norwegian ambassador riding on a "Norwegian" polar bear (closing ceremony of the Albertville Olympics '92), or as the main attraction on tourism promotions abroad in the company of our female Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland. Enya's career concerns an artist who has found her base and knows where she is going. Sissel's career currently concerns one of the world's richest and most powerful recording companies being incapable of making decisions. The big events of the pop year have been African Youssou N'dour and Angelique Kidjo -- singing in their native tongues. Sissel will also be presented to the world -- sooner or later -- in one packaging or another. Regardless: make sure you hear the voice, the artistic soul behind the packaging, when the girl from the tiny, rugged country makes the mountains tremble and the clear streams chuckle. Bid Sissel welcome. Welcome a state of mind.
Go to the land with the heaven aglow
Feb.'86: More Streisand, more TV: "Coming In and Out of Your Life." "A star is born!" scream the newspapers. Spring '86: Sissel sings Norwegian songs during the interval of the Eurovision Song Contest in Bergen. Nov.'86: Sissel sells 30,000 records a week of her first record Sissel and sets a Norwegian sales record. Jan. '87: Sissel is inundated with honours and awards. Breakthrough in Denmark and Sweden. Nov.'87: Sissel's Christmas record Glade jul (Silent Night) achieves an historical first pressing: 270 000. Christmas '87: Glade jul has sold over 500,000 copies in Norway and 100,000 in Denmark. Autumn '88: Sissel plays Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Autumn '89: Sissel's third album, Soria Moria, does not sell as well as expected, "only" 100,000. Spring '91: Takes part in a recording with the Oslo Gospel Choir.
Autumn '91: Sings Neil Sedaka's "Solitaire" on TV, accompanied by the composer.
On tour in Scandinavia, the Benelux countries and Germany with the Oslo Gospel
Choir. Solo concerts in Norwegian and Swedish churches. Spring '93: Plays Solveig in Ibsen's Peer Gynt with Edvard Grieg's music at the Bergen International Festival. Feb.'94: Sissel sings the official Olympic song in English in a duet with Placido Domingo. Launches Innerst i sjelen during the Lillehammer Olympics. World-wide media exposure. Spring/summer '94: Promotions in Japan Germany and the USA. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PolyGram recording company want to reap the benefits of the Lillehammer Olympics. They want to sell Sissel and Norway, but don't quite know how. Christmas '94: Sissel is to sing with Placido Domingo at his Christmas concert from Vienna, broadcast to television viewers in 90 countries.
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